Thursday, November 8, 2007

Kirsten's Philosophy

Richard Fulkerson says composition theory should address four issues: What is good writing (axiology)? How are texts creating (process)? How should writing be taught (pedagogy)? and What constitutes knowledge in the field of composition studies (epistemology)? To create a strong teaching philosophy one should spend a good deal of time answering these questions. Moreover, as teachers encourage their students to be life long learners, they should as well; thus, as teachers expand their knowledge, keeping current on new ideas and theories, their teaching philosophy should be revisited and updated regularly.

Linda Flower and Peter Elbow are two teachers and writers I look to for ideas to use in my teaching. As Linda Flower would agree, recursive writing is a must. Students should be allowed to revisit their ideas and work many times before completing a piece. Students must not be left to their own devises to do this. The teacher can motivate students by showing them multiple drafts of perhaps one of her pieces. Students will see for themselves the benefits of revision. They must be given guidelines on how to revisit old pre-writes and rough drafts. Guidelines for each writing project can grow and change as the project does yet, the teacher must always be clear about her expectations. Students, peers, and the teacher can work together at every stage.

I’m definitely a proponent of Peter Elbow’s pedagogical theories regarding felt sense and the role of audience. These two ideas should be considered early on in the writing process. Gaining a felt sense in one’s writing can help students find a genuine connection with their topic. Removing the idea of audience, in the beginning, will help ideas flow and assist students in getting as much on paper at the onset as possible. To begin a writing project with too much information, too many ideas, can be a good thing. Ideas can be whittled down, molded; not having enough to work with often results in a thin, piece meal product.

My teaching philosophy is most definitely student-centered. I tote a believe in expressivism however the red pen does have a tendency to come out of no where and break bad. My ultimate goal is to consistently work toward creating a community of learners within the classroom.



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